Combining the signature vibey hip hop sound with profound bass, Denver based artist Swampz, has released his latest track “OG”, a vibey bop that seamlessly blends multiple genres and is a certified bop. Making major moves within the scene in 2023, this new release is a must listen, and is sure to appeal to both hip hop and EDM fans. Taking  influence from hip hop OG’s, Swampz is consistently releasing tracks that set him apart from other artists and is consistently showcasing his range. “OG” in particular, features heavy-hitting, intense bass that is sure to hook all listeners. The track truly displays Swampz signature style as well as his production abilities. In comparison to his previous releases, “OG” is significantly heavier; and we are absolutely loving it. Check out our interview with Swampz below for more insight on his goals for 2024 and more information on the project!

“Made this song to go back to the roots of what I fell in love with when I heard dubstep for the first time” -SWAMPZ

If you could choose one word to describe this track, what would it be? 

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The word I’d use to describe this track is “OG” the name of the song itself because it encapsulates the vibes of the “og” or “oldschool” dubstep and hip hop that I grew up listening to. 

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What are some hip-hop artists you look to for inspiration during the production of your tracks? 

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I’ve been listening to hip hop music my whole life so I have a wide range of inspirations from the modern day to the old school. If I had to choose my biggest influences it’d be Suicideboys, Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Xavier Wulf, Bones, NWA, Mobb Deep, Chief Keef and so many more, I could go on forever. I incorporate a lot of elements used in old school and modern day hip hop into my production so listening to these artists may spark the creative boost I need when writing music. 

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2023 was a huge year for you, with that being said, what are some of your goals for the Swampz project in 2024? 

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2023 was huge for me and I am extremely grateful for that. My goal for 2024 is to make it a bigger year, release tons of new music, play lots of shows and influence other producers to hop on the G-Step wave that I’m pushing. Really just looking to build on the seeds I planted last year and I’m excited to have a new team at Mind Warp to bring that vision to life!

Josh Teed, the highly respected artist known for his masterful blending of classical and electronic music has once again cemented his position in the scene. Previously touring with artists like Clozee on her Microdose tour, Teed has been nothing short but an inspiring contribution to the scene. Utilizing his over 20 years of violin training, Teed is known for pairing soulful violin compositions with enchanting production, setting him apart from other producers and showcasing his wide range of musical talent. His latest release, a remix album featuring tracks from his recent body of work titled “Recurring Dreams”, is an expertly curated work of art centered around the dreamworld and its relation and contrast to reality. Each track plays into different aspects of the dream realm and the subconscious, touching on both the desired and the uninvited. 

“Nightmare Sonata”, a collaboration from the album between Teed and producer Daggz, is a spin on a classic piece that forces the listener to delve into the less appealing aspects of dreaming; evoking an eerie and ominous feeling. The remix, featuring production from bass artist Chomppa, features his signature heavy-hitting bass sound that brings a slightly more sinister twist to the piece. Chomppa’s addition of a vocal sample that can only be described as anxiety inducing (in the best way), adds yet another layer of complexity that is truly the cherry on top of a fantastic piece of work. Chomppa’s take on “Nightmare Sonata” is brilliant, leaving the listener to explore their perception of nightmares and their connection to a person’s psyche and physical state in the real world. His additions to the track further it in a way that masterfully compliments and enhances its qualities without overshadowing the original production and meaning. Each artist bounces off of one another in a way that showcases their own signature sound while creating a piece of work that flows seamlessly. 

“Nightmare Sonata” as well as the rest of the “Recurring Dreams” album can be streamed on SoundCloud now, and we can’t wait for you guys to listen! For more insight into Chomppa’s creative process, check out our exclusive interview with him below!

“Putting his own creative spin on Josh Teed and Daggz’ Nightmare Sonata, Chomppa takes listeners to the darkest side of their dreams with this heavy hitting remix.  Recurring Dreams was my favorite body of work I’ve ever put together. I always thought if there were ever to be a remix project for it, it would have to be nothing short of amazing. Touching on a dizzying variety of sub-genres of electronic music, this compilation is as good as it gets.”

– Josh Teed

1. You’re on your deathbed and you can listen to one last song, which one would it be and why?

My last song on my deathbed would have to be CharlesTheFirst – Hopeful. Charles became one of my favorite artists over the last few years and his legacy 100% lives on through his music, this track in particular always hits me in an emotional place I can’t quite explain. The entire SOLUS project has been on constant repeat for me since its release, but Hopeful really just embodies everything I love about Charles’ music, long live the king 👑  -CHOMPPA

2. If you could change one thing about the electronic scene, what would it be and why?

I’ve touched on this a fair amount and there’s a lot of discourse surrounding the topic right now, but I’d love to see a shift away from numbers, social media, etc. and stronger emphasis on meaningful music rather than what sells or is popular. Plenty of people have explained that marketing a show/maintaining a business in live music requires artists with solid ticket sales on the lineup, which I fully understand and support, but it feels like lately the scene is oversaturated with ghost produced projects or producers who pump out content-driven music, and they’re the ones climbing higher on the ladder than the wildly talented producers who don’t necessarily want to make repetitive TikToks. Obviously, social media is the new marketing avenue and we as artists all have to play the game to a degree, I’m just hopeful that the music comes back into focus in the near future. -CHOMPPA

3. If you had one message you could share with the world right now, what would it be?

My message to the world would be every life is valuable and each person deserves to have their fundamental human rights protected. Minor differences in our origin, religion, sexual orientation, political ideology, or anything of that nature should not separate us but rather yield meaningful conversations about the beauty of the world’s diversity. There is nothing more important than respecting each other and the environment we inhabit together.  -CHOMPPA

      When bass music is mentioned in discourse, most fans relate the overall sub-genre to the signature dubstep and riddim influences that brought it to what can now be considered the forefront of the EDM scene. Of the sub-genres frequently mentioned, tearout is one that has brought forth many of the signature sounds we hear of late. 

      Two important players within the tearout scene, Sadhu and IMAN, have recently released their first collaboration with one another, SADMAN, a heavy-hitting, intense, bop of a track that showcases the signature sounds of each artist. Both producers are absolutely ecstatic to have collaborated with one another, especially after Sadhu’s announcement that he will be taking a somewhat indefinite hiatus from producing tearout and dubstep tracks on a regular schedule to focus on other aspects of music. This factor, among others, makes this collaboration extremely important to IMAN as he has looked up to Sadhu since the beginning of his career.

“Since guiding Iman to crowsnest a while ago and us always having fun conversations, I decided it’s time to collab. I’ve tried combining the old and new tearout styles.“- SADHU

“I got to know Sadhu after remixing his song ‘Bass Boosted Riddim‘ and he recommended I submit my track ‘ILLEST‘ to crowsnest, we remained in touch and he asked me to collab on this track with a short deadline. Fortunately I work well under pressure and got to work immediately. Sadhu is a pioneer of the tearout ‘machine gun‘ sound (which happens to be one of my favorite sounds in the genre) so naturally I couldn‘t turn down this opportunity to work with a true OG of tearout dubstep who has inspired my own productions.“ -IMAN

  Overall, SADMAN is a must listen to track that has brought together an OG in the scene and a rising name that is quickly becoming an influential standout in the genre. For a further look into the making of SADMAN and more information on the current direction of their projects, checkout our exclusive interview with both Sadhu and IMAN below!

1. As we know, music is constantly evolving; how would you say the tearout genre has changed over the years? 

Sadhu: In my view it has shifted from a more creative and “nonchalant”attidude towards a more serious and meticulously crafted, wich for me is what tearout always tried not to be, and the creativity is what suffers the most from this shift. 

Iman: Tearout has grown in popularity and there are more people producing it now than ever and the sounds are incorporated in many mainstream dubstep songs. In my eyes tearout is like a bobber motorcycle; it’s meant to be barebones, rugged and rough around the edges. In my opinion most tearout producers are pushing to make the heaviest and loudest songs possible vs. being stylistically creative but there are still some very creative artists in the subgenre. While machine gun basses and pan snares are here to stay, a lot of the mixdowns are much more refined than songs from the past, which depending on how you look at things could be positive or negative.

2. As artists that have not previously collaborated with one another, Is there a certain feeling or general vibe that you both decided to hone in on when creating SADMAN?

Sadhu: I think just as in any collab, you try to blend the two styles together to make them sound unique, but fitting within the context of the song, i think we did a good job with that.

Iman: I have been a fan of Sadhu for a very long time, initially discovering him on youtube as a teen. Given that this collab had a greenlight from Crowsnest I wanted to make sure that this was something that would fit the vibe stylistically and mix wise while being heavy and a little rough around the edges. 

3. If you could travel back in time to when you first started making music, what is one piece of advice you would give yourselves? 

Sadhu: That huge folder of unreleased that have been waiting on label answers for months? Self release that shit immediately. If you can find a label that is your home, good, if you cant, release music. If youre waiting 3+ weeks for a reply from a label, they are not worth your time and you are better off self releasing.

Iman: I would tell myself to not expect to learn things too quickly and to not get discouraged. Learning music is like learning a new language and It’s not something that happens overnight, you need to be consistent, patient and trust the process. There was a period of several months after I first got ableton where I essentially threw in the towel after just trying for a couple months in 2018. I’m lucky to have had good friends who motivated me to get back at it and grow from there.

4. What’s next for both the Sadhu and IMAN projects? Any future collaborations with one another planned that listeners can look forward to?

Sadhu: I myself am shifting more towards instrumental music, after 13 years of producing this genre, i do not have the drive to make this stuff everyday anymore. I always get waves of inspiration throughout the year that make me write a tearout track, and i am pretty sure one of those waves will be another collab. I plan on taking on the role of a “silent participant” – i am 30, 13 years in this industry, you will not see me on TikTok or InstaLive, what you will see is a couple of surprise sadhu + x tunes popping up on your release radar.

Iman: 2024 is going to be a big year for the IMAN project. I plan on dropping my debut EP, working on a ton of collabs with some amazing artists and playing shows across the US & beyond. I welcome Sadhu with open arms whenever he wants to work on another track and I’m looking forward to what is to come.